1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a process cartridge and an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction peripheral or multifunction machine (MFP) having at least two of copying, printing, facsimile transmission, plotting, and scanning capabilities, that include the process cartridge.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, image forming apparatuses, such as printers, copiers, facsimile machines, and MFPs having those capabilities, include a photoconductor serving as an image bearer, a charging device to charge a surface of the photoconductor, a developing device to develop a latent image on the photoconductor with a toner image, a cleaning device to clean the photoconductor, and a lubricant supply device to lubricate the surface of the photoconductor. To facilitate maintenance thereof, there are image forming apparatus that use a process cartridge (i.e., a modular unit) in which these components are united so that these components are removed from or installed in the image forming apparatus at a time.